This cat blog will answer the major question, “Why does my cat eat my plants?” we also discussed the major reasons for cats eating plants, the dangers of consuming plants for your cat, and how you can prevent your cat from eating plants.
Why does my cat eat my plants?
Your cat eats your plant because of the following reasons:
- Pica
- Chewing habit
- Stomach upset
- Nutrients
- Worms
These are the major reasons for consuming plants for your cat. You should devise ways to prevent your cat from eating plants.
What are the major reasons cats eat plants?
Following are the main reasons for cats eating plants:
Stomach upset
The first reason is stomach upset. Stomach upset is a minor problem due to the indigestion of plants in the stomach of your cat. Following are the major clinical signs of stomach upset in your cat:
- Loss of appetite
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Abdominal pain
Worms
The next problem is the worms in the digestive tract of your cat. Worms can be very dangerous for your cat as they can block the intestine of the cat. If your cat consumes eggs of the worms, they hatch in the intestine which can attach to the wall of the intestine and hinder the absorption of nutrients from the intestine into the bloodstream.
Following are the major clinical signs of worm infestation in your cat:
- Loss of appetite
- Bright hair coat
- Weight loss
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Anemia
- Bloody diarrhea due to extreme condition
Stress
The next reason is stress. The stress could be because of many reasons such as another cat or the pet in the house, lack of care and love, and change of place.
This stress can trigger this behavior in your cat and your cat spends most of the time biting and chewing your plants. Cats usually do not swallow plants but it does happen.
Chewing habit
The next reason is the chewing habit of your cat. This is an innate behavior of your cat which is why it can be removed from your cat. You can provide enough enrichment so that your cat doesn’t follow your plants.
Nutrients
Some people think that cats eat plants to get nutrients from them. There are possible nutrients in the plants which could be healthy for your cat but cats are obligate carnivores and they do take most of the nutrients from consuming meat.
Pica
Pica is an incident in which your cat will eat each and everything it finds in the way. It is a condition that is caused by a deficiency of phosphorus in the body. You just need to formulate a diet for your cat.
What are the major threats of consuming plants for your cat?
Following are the major threats of consuming plants for your cat:
Pesticides
The first problem is pesticides which can be dangerous for your cat. It can cause toxicity in your cat which you can confirm by looking at the following signs:
- Loss of appetite
- Excessive salivation
- Dehydration
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Sunken eyes
Intestinal obstruction
The next problem is an intestinal obstruction in your cat. Intestinal obstruction is a severe condition in which your cat will not be able to eat anything for several days. The only solution to this problem is surgery. It is due to the digestion of plants in the intestine.
How can you prevent your cat from eating plants?
Following are the ways by which you can prevent your cat from eating plants:
- The first thing you can do is hang the plants in a place where your cat will not reach them. There should be nothing on which your cat can climb.
- The next thing you can do is to offer some chewing toys to your cat so it is distracted and doesn’t long for the plants.
- You can also offer some cat-friendly plants such as catnip to your cat which will distract your cat.
- A complete and well-balanced diet is very crucial for the health of your cat.
- The next thing is to train your cat to obey commands. It is rather tough to train your cat as compared to your dog but hard work is the key to success.
- The other thing you can do is spend quality time with your cat and give it the love and care it deserves.
- The last thing you should do is plan a monthly deworming program for your cat.
Conclusion
In this cat blog, we answered the major question, “Why does my cat eat my plants?” we also discussed the major reasons for cats eating plants, the dangers of consuming plants for your cat, and how you can prevent your cat from eating plants.
References
http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/why-does-my-cat-eat-grass-or-houseplants
https://www.cathealth.com/behavior/how-and-why/1260-cat-house-plants
https://lortsmith.com/need-help-now/cat/sickness/pallor-anemia-in-cats/
